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Meta Title: Horse Racing | 5 of the Best Festivals in the UK and Ireland

Meta description: If you are into your horse racing, then there are five great festivals in the UK and Ireland that you must attend. Find out more right here.

Horse Racing: Five Quality Festivals in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Horse racing has become a quintessential British pastime, and a major horse race can cause horse racing fans to flock to it in their thousands. And a horse racing event is not all about the racing; British and Irish racing has now become synonymous with haute-cuisine, high fashion, Royal Family members, and celebrities. Britain and Ireland lead the way when it comes to world-famous horse racing events, so below we are going to have a look at the most prestigious ones.

Royal Ascot | The Royal Family

Royal Ascot, Berkshire, England

This racing event takes place in June every year. It has become one of the main pillars of British sport, with the Queen and other Royal Family members attending quite regularly. This race event is as much about quality fashion and celebrities as it is about betting high stakes on the horses. This event was first run back in 1839, and it has been run nearly every year since, and it is now the most valuable horse race in the United Kingdom with a total prize pot of over £8 million.

The main race of this event is the Gold Cup, and this is the race that all jockeys want to win. Other big races that take part during this 5-day horse racing festival include the Queen Anne Stakes, the Prince of Wales's Stake, the Commonwealth Cup, and the Golden Jubilee Stakes.

If you are a big fan of horse racing, then you must attend this prestigious festival at least once and place some wagers. If you cannot attend, for whatever reason, then all is not lost because all of the best horse racing betting sites, such as those found at www.betinireland.ie/sports-betting/horse-racing, will have odds and markets for all of the biggest races.

The Grand National, Aintree, Liverpool

This race, which is held each year in April, is one of the world's most viewed horse races, with more than 600 million people watching it all over the world, and more than 150,000 fans in attendance. This race, which is part of a three-day festival has become extremely popular due to the fact that it has become so unpredictable - on the day, any of the horses can go on to win the £1 million that is on offer.

In fact, this race is so unpredictable that it has become a contentious subject in the horse racing world, with many feeling that there is too much of a risk for the horse and the jockey. In this race, the participants run four-and-a-half miles, and have to jump over 30 fences with differing degrees of difficulty. There are eight other Grade One races during the festival, so you will have plenty of great races to put your money on.

Cheltenham Festival, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

This race takes part in March of each year and is the first racing festival in the British horse racing calendar. This four-day event coincides with St. Patrick's Day, so it attracts a large number of Irish horse racing fans. There are two main races at this prestigious event, and these are the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle. When it comes to prize money, the Gold Cup has a total prize pool of £625,000, which is second only to the aforementioned Grand National. With 28 races over the course of the festival, there is definitely no shortage of betting options available to horse racing betting fans.

There is a reason the Epsom Derby has stood the test of time - because it  is such an awful racecourse

Epsom Derby, Epsom, Surrey

This festival takes place in June every year and is regarded as one of the best racing spectacles in the world. The first derby at Epsom was run in 1780, and it still provides an unforgettable horse racing experience each year. The Downs racetrack on which the races take place offers horses and jockeys the ultimate test of balance, endurance, and speed. If participants do not have all three, then they can forget about being successful here.

Each year, more than 100,000 horse racing enthusiasts flock to Epsom, and fashion is just as important as the races that are on show. You will spot royalty and celebrities all dressed in their best attire, with the best-dressed lady winning a prize of £5,000. There are 14 great races at this festival, but the one that all participants want to win is the Epsom Derby, also known as the Cazoo Derby because of sponsorship reasons - there is more than £600,000 on offer to the winner.

Galway Summer Festival, Galway, Ireland

This seven-day event starts on the last Monday in July and is one of the most popular racing events in the Republic of Ireland. What makes this event so popular is the fact it has a totally unique atmosphere and alongside the horse racing you will find plenty of fashion and other modes of entertainment. Over the course of the festival, more than 100,000 horse racing fans travel to Galway to enjoy the racing that is on offer.

There are two main races at this festival, and these are the Galway Plate and the Galway Hurdle. Both of these races do not have the same high prize money as other races we spoke about above, but the winner can still walk away with more than £150,000, which, in our opinion, is not too bad for a race that lasts a couple of minutes. There are more than 40 races over the course of the festival, so horse racing bettors will have plenty to put their hard-earned money on.

Betting Tools That You Need at the Races

Apart from your sunscreen (more likely an umbrella since we are talking about British and Irish races), there a few other items that can come in handy when you are betting on horses at the racetrack. You might also want to bring a pair of binoculars so that you can see your horse cross the finish line, but the following tools are very useful when it comes down to placing wagers:

Racetrack program: Just like a program at a football match, it has important info on the players. However, in this case, the players are the jockeys, trainers, horses, and owners. You will have to pay a few quid to get your hands on a race day program, but trust us when we say that the information inside can be really useful and improve your chances of winning.

Daily racing form: This form contains the previous performances of all of the horses that are going to be running and it includes useful horse racing articles as well as handicapping. Once again, you will need to pay some money to get one of these, but you will soon forget about the initial cost when you are cheering your horse over the finish line in first place.

Handicapping tip sheet: This is a daily selection that is published by experienced handicappers. Obviously, you do not have to put money on what they say, but it is always worth your while knowing what others are thinking.

Obviously, if you are betting online at your favourite sports betting site, these tools will not be available to you. However, luckily for you there is something known as the Internet, and you should be able to find plenty of great betting tips for all of the big horse racing events at the tap of your finger. Before you go ahead and place a bet, we highly recommend that you take the time to do your own research online so that you can improve your chances of winning.